Aimee was restless.  The time loss she experienced from earlier still haunted her, and then Dougal was off the ship with the away team.  She always worried when he was gone and not there with him.  Sighing she stood and went to the replicator and ordered a cup of black coffee.

Returning to her desk she decided it was time she named her assistant chief medical officer.  She pulled up the dossiers of several of her top doctors onto their own PADDs. Comparing the doctors was easy this way. With the candidates narrowed do Aimee pressed the comm button on her desk, “Doctor MacDonald to Doctor Harrison.  When you get a chance could you please come to my office.”

Roger was in the mess hall, a cup of coffee in his hand. He was poring over his new orders-Starfleet had sent him to some pretty far-flung places but this was his first ship assignment. He was excited, even if he would only join the ranks as a staff doctor. It was a good career move, at any rate, and he knew that his wife and daughter would benefit from the change. Coming from working at the Academy to a ship was going to be a lifestyle difference, BUT change wouldn’t hurt the little girl, and he knew that Lucy really liked excitement. He? He hated change, but he supposed that orders were orders, so here he was. He heard his name over the comms, and stood up, checking his uniform to make sure he hadn’t spilled his coffee down the front of him. No, he was OK. He made his way quickly out of the mess hall, dropping the cup off to be cleaned at a station as he left. He made his way to the medbay, and into the inner sanctum, where the CO’s office was. He knocked once. “Dr. Harrison, reporting as requested, ma’am.” He was nothing if not proper, and he stood a perfect attention, waiting further instruction. 

“Relax,” Aimee said, “I don’t stand on protocol.  Have a seat.”

“How are you settling in?”Roger relaxed slightly. She might not stand on protocol, but he did. He valued it, actually, to keep himself on the even keel. He was prone to neurosis, so following rules and having rituals was important for his brain. He moved towards the chair she indicated, and sat down carefully. The damned uniform was itchy, already, something he hadn’t noticed before. What was Lucy using to clean these days?! He realized it was probably just his brain trying to psych him out, so he forced himself to calm down. “Just fine. The family, as well. They seem to find adventure no matter where we go.” He didn’t elaborate, but those two girls were always up to something. He still didn’t know what Lucy had ever seen in him, but he was glad she had. His wife and daughter were his whole world, and he would move moons and mountains for them if he had to. “Everyone has been very helpful and welcoming.” He shrugged a little. It was always awkward, meeting your boss officially.

“You have family onboard?” Aimee asked.  There was no judgment in her voice.  Just a question.  “Tell me about yourself.   Where did you do your residency?  Are you comfortable in treating a wide variety of medical ailments not just those related to your specialty?”

He nodded. “Yes, my wife, Lucy, and daughter, are both here with me. This is my first ship assignment, and…we thought it’d be a good experience for Minnie. She’s six.” He stopped talking; he could talk all day about his family but people didn’t want to hear it all day. “I started as a civilian volunteer in a Betazid trauma hospital, during the Dominion War. My schooling was through a civilian medical school in England, and, uh…I have a bit of a humanitarian side. Lucy says it’s cute. My father says it’s reckless.” The elder Roger was a stern, mean old man who never had any fun in his life. “After that, I went through the Starfleet academy, and my first assignment was on a hospital ship, the USS Pasteur. I served there for three years-doing trauma, as one does on a hospital ship. From there, I went back to the Academy, serving as the ACMO there. That was to…recover from trauma medicine. I was injured, not badly, but enough that Lucy said I couldn’t do it for awhile. Then, this posting opened up, and here we are.” He gave the brief synopsis, though he was sure there were much more detailed notes in his personnel jacket. “I also am cross-trained in psychology but prefer physical medicine.” Getting a psychology degree in his undergrad years was a compromise with his father. The man would shut up about his life choices if he agreed to do something that his father felt was worthy. His parents were both educators.

Aimee sat back in her chair wirh a cup of coffee in her hand.  A trait she had inherited from her mother who was literally addicted to the stuff.  Aimee wasn’t that bad, but it certainly had become a habit.  “Well, then maybe you should be sitting in this chair,” she said half joking.  “I have a need for an Assistant Chief Medical Officer.   There’s plenty of doctors on staff, but none with your experience.”

Roger nodded. “Well. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity.” He was about to go on but realized he was going to start gushing, so he just leaned back a little. “Will I start tomorrow?” He would be very excited to start right away, but he also knew that sometimes it took paperwork and whatnot to complete. He was patient, though, and only Lucy would know until some sort of formal announcement was made. “I am ready to begin right away, but I realize there’s paperwork and things, and I should probably meet the Captain and all that, too.” He had, after all, JUST arrived aboard. Still, it was nice to be recognized for his years of hard work! 

“That will be acceptable.   I’ll update the duty schedule.  I’ll need you to cover sickbay tomorrow.  I need to get some clinic hours in and with you here that’s a perfect opportunity to clear a back log.”

He nodded. “Understood. Thank you.” 

“See you tomorrow doctor.”